Position papers are due Wednesday, May 22nd at 11:59 PM!
As part of our commitment to fostering diplomatic discourse and excellence in debate, we have outlined the following position paper policy to guide your participation in our conference.
Position papers are mandatory for consideration for awards in GA/ECOSOC/CRISIS/Regional Body committees. While discretion may be exercised by the dias team for other awards like Best Delegate, ADHOC committee delegates are exempt from submitting position papers. Submission of position papers should be done through the provided submission form.
While delegates are encouraged to utilize AI for research and grammar assistance, the utilization of AI for generating position papers is discouraged. AI-generated papers tend to lack specificity and value, diminishing their likelihood of qualifying for awards. No AI detectors will be employed to prevent false positives.
A position paper serves as a written documentation of a country’s stance on a specific issue. These papers offer a succinct overview of a country’s foreign policy, articulating its perspectives and opinions on the given topic. Typically one page in length, position papers are crafted from the viewpoint of the represented country.
Position papers should comprise four primary paragraphs, with delegates having the option to draft either one or two papers. In the case of a single paper, delegates discuss both topics within each paragraph, adhering to the outlined format. Delegates opting for two papers follow the same format for each topic individually. For single papers, content should span approximately two pages, while for two papers, each should fill around one page.
When composing a position paper, it's crucial to consider the country's interests and objectives within the committee. Evaluating how the issue affects the country and envisaging desired outcomes is essential. For instance, a country benefiting from illegal arms smuggling should avoid endorsing stringent measures to curb smuggling.
Position paper submissions are required to qualify for awards. Each committee will also give out one Best Position Paper award. Delegates who fail to submit a position paper by the deadline will be ineligible for any conference awards. Delegates who plagiarize will also be ineligible for awards. Only delegates in Ad hoc are exempt from submitting a position paper given the nature of this committee.
We recommend that delegates ensure their position papers are concise. Position papers must be 1 page at a minimum and 2 pages at a maximum (11 or 12 pt font, single-spaced). These page requirements refer to the entire paper excluding the citations/bibliography.
Delegates should properly cite their research using Chicago style citations with footnotes OR MLA style citations with footnotes. We strongly recommend that delegates use at least 3 academic sources to complete their paper (e.g., scholarly articles, books, and scientific publications). Finally, as a rule of thumb, anything that is not common knowledge or your own original idea should be cited.
Delegates should submit position papers to their directors before the first day of the committee sessions in order to be eligible for awards. Papers should be submitted in .pdf, .doc, or .docx (Microsoft Office Word) format. Please be sure to include your name, school and country/character that you are representing on the top or in the header of your position papers. Please title your position paper via the following format:
[Country/Character Name]_[Committee]_Position Paper.
Please submit a copy of your position paper to the form below:
If you have any questions or concerns regarding writing, formatting, or submitting position papers, please feel free to reach out to our Delegate Affairs department.
We encourage all delegates to adhere to these guidelines to ensure a fruitful and productive Model United Nations experience. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Secretariat.